Hershel's Friend
by Natni.B
Summary: Carol and Daryl have a past. Sorry i'm not very good at summaries. Rate T for Language and slight violence
1. Chapter 1

CAROL'S POV

Saturday 30th November 2013

It's my eldest daughters 20th birthday today, and her father is now watching my every move we hadn't seen each other since well a month before I actually found out I was pregnant, I knew it was him the second he drove up onto the camp site myself my husband and little Sophia was on.

It's being three days since this shit started, and I hope god do I hope that my daughter is safe in that prison, she should be right? I mean they're protected, so she'll be fine, right? Lord I hope so.

"Carol you OK?" Lori one of the other women on this camp asked

"Erm, yeah, just thinking" I sighed


	2. 13 Days since the prison fell

Sunday 14th September 2014

It's being thirteen days since the governor as he calls himself drove us away from the prison we had being bunked in which shattered my hopes of my girl being alive, I have lost both my little girls and it's my own fault.

"Maybe we could find another prison a couple of states away, so that we can make ourselves safe again, well as safe as we could ever be in this world" I sighed like the Dwight women's correctional centre I added internally.

"Which state?" Beth asked

"I don't know Illinois I mean I grew up in Dwight so I know the area and it puts plenty of distance between us and the governor plus the prison that's there is a maximum security women's prison which means us females will finally have some not half dead underwear" I sighed

"How far, roughly?" Rick asked worn out.

"from here depending on the route we take 670 miles." I shrugged

"What does everyone think?"

"See where Carol grew up and be safe again, I'm in" Carl smiled for the first time since Lori's death.

"Sure," Beth, Maggie, Glenn and Hershel smiled

"Anyone not for going" Rick asked

"ME" Daryl snapped he hasn't being very nice towards me.

"Reason" Rick asked

"I erm have bad memories there, guess I just don't want them back, plus travelling that far with a baby when we don't have vehicles."

"You lived there too, so you guys knew each other as youngsters?" Andrea asked it was great having her back.

"Sure did, he lived next door to me for three years till his mama took him back to Atlanta and gave him back to his daddy" I smirked to piss him.

"Don't fuck with me Carol, I aint in the mood for your shit" he hissed

"Then don't go but I am, bye." I started to walk away.

"Damn it Carol, do you always have to do that" he growled

"Do what CHARLES?" I hissed turning back

"I told you to never call me that" he hissed

"You treat me like it's my fault we broke up, treat me like shit since you joined the group in Atlanta, when it aint. You left not me." I screamed stomping my foot I turned and carried on storming away.

"I was 15 I had no damn choice and you was gonna be going off to college that fall anyways" he yelled after me. I got about 100 yards before they all caught me as I was getting on to an abandoned school bus.

"Yes" I grinned when it started up.

"So you two dated?" Maggie asked

"For 2 years" I shrugged trying to act like it was nothing but it was, damn it was everything I loved him to bits I still do.

"2 years 4 months actually" Daryl snapped

"Whatever Charles," I snapped right back "We'll be there in like 10 hours get some rest we might have to clean the place out too."

"Carol, do you want me to drive?" Rick asked

"No, I know the best route" I smiled

It was a long drive most slept but I could feel Daryl's stare the entire drive. The entire ten hours, he glared at my back. I missed the real Charles Daryl Dixon, the really smart, really caring always smiling, best friend. The boy I fell in love with, the one Merle didn't ruin,


	3. Our old tree house

It was 7 am now and we were just passing through Dwight.

"Look Charles our old tree house." I grinned pointing to it.

"Wow that's awesome" Carl cheered

"Stop calling me Charles" Daryl snapped

"No it's your name, I don't like this you this mini Merle," I snapped pulling over.

"Carol?" Rick and Hershel asked

"You guys want to see the real Daryl? We have time"

"Carol" Daryl warned but everyone followed

I showed them my childhood room with pictures of Daryl in is shirts, sweater vest. On the basketball team. Surprise dates. Opening the Charles Dixon school out of school where he taught/ tutored kids for free. All his thank you cards from the elderly people he delivered shopping and meals to, pictures from the local paper of him reading to the sick kids in hospital. I turned to Daryl. Holding up the picture of him reading to blinding little boy who was in the picture on his death bed.

"I miss him, Charlie, my best friend the smartest most caring guy in the world the one that was never ashamed of himself the one that never swore or hurt people unless it was in self defense or protecting me, the boy I fell in love with." I went into the closest grabbing his old varsity jersey. "Your mad at me for not following you to Atlanta, I'm glad I didn't because you turned into a jerk. You became your ass of a brother the brother you always despised, you said to me after you joined the camp that I never loved you. Look around my room Charlie, look in my closet and tell me I didn't love you, go to that prison and find OUR daughters cell and tell me I didn't love you. Think I wanted to come back here to hurt you no, I wanted to come back because I thought she was safe being in that prison until we found the prison we made home, I need to see that she's safe if not bury her get closure." I screamed putting his jersey on and walking out I climbed up into the tree house and broke into sobs.


	4. Forgiveness

Daryl's POV

"Daughter?" I mumbled

"Son, she loves you" Hershel nudged me "We'll wait on the bus." I ran out to the tree house I could hear her sobs the second I stepped out the door.

"Carrie" I called using her old nickname, climbing up. "C'mon Carrie, let's go find our little girl, I'm sorry, it's just I missed you, my Carrie, then I saw you again married with Sophia and it broke my heart even more I took it out on you and I shouldn't have I thought you didn't love me anymore and keeping you away would make it easier, I'm me again, I promise." I cradled her

"I don't even know what she's like, what she's in prison for my parents made me give her to Debs, said I wasn't having a kid when I wasn't married and was a kid myself" she cried.

"We'll find her. You'll get to see her, we'll go to that prison and we'll search every damn cell for her" I promised, I knew her parents would have done that kinda shit, it was just like them.

"You aren't mad" she sobbed

"Never, I was just tryna protect my heart, merle said that's the best way, I didn't realise I was hurting you, I don't want you to be ashamed of me, I missed you Carrie, I love you always have, always will, never moved on"

"I love you too and I didn't not really, my parents made me go on a date with Ed, I had one glass of wine woke the next day naked, when I found out I was pregnant I was told to marry him or abort I should have walked away."

"You did nothing wrong come on, let find our baby girl" I got down and waited for her wrapping myself around her from behind. "By the way, you still look hot as hell in my jersey" I teased her as we got on the bus. Everyone snickered

"CHARLES DARYL DIXON" she groaned I laughed

"Hey, you showed these guys embarrassing pictures of me, my turn" I pulled out the old picture of my Carrie in my jersey on nothing else posing for me. showing it her she went bright red.

"You can't show them that." She whined. But I did.

"Wow, Carol, hot" Andrea grinned "Bet you was the it couple"

"Not really" she blushed

"All the guys wanted her" I grinned "I had to threaten I few idiots on the team for flirting with Caz"

"Yeah coz the whole of the cheerleading squad wasn't drooling all over you"

"Oh so that was why you had that fight with Lizzy" I laughed she groaned grabbing the picture from Carl who was practically drooling.

"No, that was because she slapped your ass when you walked passed us"

"Damn I thought you'd just got kinky" I teased

"Charles" she groaned as everyone laughed

"I'm kidding though I did think it was you, it was valentine's day after all" I smiled kissing her cheek, "I'll drive to the prison."

"So what's your daughter like?" Hershel asked

"Honestly don't know my parent made me give her to my cousin cause I was 17 and not married, they was I got a letter once a month about how she was doing, they made me marry ED two, no love loss when it comes to my parents" Carol sighed "I don't even know what she doing in Illinois let alone prison my cousins they're English my aunt moved there when she was 18"

"That's horrible, they shouldn't have done that" Hershel sighed

"It's my fault if she's dead just like it is Sophia's dead, I should have being a better mother" Carol sobbed

"No Carol, you had no control over either, if your daughter is dead that is your parents blame and only their blame as for Sophia no one could have stopped what happened to her it was tragic but she's safe and waiting in heaven for her momma" Hershel told her fatherly.


	5. Meeting the Dixon Daughter

We killed walkers as we went there wasn't that many here compared to the one in Atlanta. We heard music playing and followed the sound as we got closer we saw 7 walkers trying to get into a cell and heard someone singing. She wasn't even bothered by the walkers trying to get in and eat her. The song was definitely a country song

_'So they went down and they sat on the pier_

_He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care_

_I got no one to send a letter to_

_Would you mind if I sent one back here to you_

_I cried_

_Never gonna hold the hand of another guy_

_Too young for him they told her_

_Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier_

_Our love will never end_

_Waitin' for the solider to come back again_

_Never more to be alone when the letter said_

_A soldier's coming home'_

We had froze listening to the heavenly voice the English accent I knew in my heart that she was my daughter, she as a beautiful voice just like her momma.

_'So the letters came from an army camp_

_In California then Vietnam_

_And he told her of his heart_

_It might me love all of the things he was so scared of_

_He said when it's getting kinda rough over here_

_I think of that day sittin' down at the pier_

_And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile_

_Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while_

_I cried_

_Never gonna hold the hand of another guy_

_Too young for him they told her_

_Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier_

_Our love will never end_

_Waitin' for the solider to come back again_

_Never more to be alone when the letter said_

_A soldier's coming home_

_One Friday night at a football game_

_The lord's prayer said and the anthem sang_

_A man said folks would you bow your heads_

_For a list of local Vietnam dead_

_Crying all alone under the stands_

_Was a piccolo player in the marching band_

_And one name read and nobody really cared_

_But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair_

_I cried_

_Never gonna hold the hand of another guy_

_Too young for him they told her_

_Waitin' on the love of a travelin' soldier_

_Our love will never end_

_Waitin' for the soldier to come back again_

_Never more to be alone when the letter says_

_A soldier coming_

_I cried_

_Never gonna hold the hand of another guy_

_Too young for him the told her_

_Waitin' on the love of a travelin' soldier_

_Our love will never end_

_Waitin' for the soldier to come back again_

_Never more to be alone when the letter says_

_A soldier's coming home.'_

She as such a beautiful voice I quickly put a bow through each of their heads and we went over, she looked up from a desk where she was writing, with her momma big beautiful blue eyes.

"Evening" she gave a slight wave looking to Hershel "Would ya like my wheelchair sir? I can walk now still a little weak but I'm getting there." She pushed up you could tell she was weak, folded up the wheelchair beside her and brought it over pushing it through the bars.

"Thank you" he smiled

"No problem sir, I got no use for it" she smiled looking me and Carol over she went back to her desk picking up something she pushed her chair over sitting at the bars she held a photo out. Rick took it.

"We found your little girl" Rick said handing the picture to me. Judith chose then to cry. My daughter reached her hands out and Rick handed her over Judith actually fitting through the bars. She began to rock the fussing baby, and softly singing to her another country songs, lil' asskicker went to sleep snuggled into her.

"What are you in for?" Carl asked

"Second degree murder" she smiled proudly.

"Hand my daughter over now" Rick panicked

"Sir, I would never hurt an innocent person I didn't mean to kill him but I watched him beat and rape my cousins then start to beat my other cousin Eddy he's old and ill he was dying without this prick kicking him in the head over and over, I had to do something before he killed the man that raised me, I didn't mean to kill him just wanted to hurt him so he would stop hurting Eddy until the police got there for him but apparently I hit him a little too hard he died of well basically whiplash to the brain. Think I wanted my future ruining because I tried to protect my family. If it was on purpose I would have got the capital punishment murder in the first degree but it wasn't" she sighed handing Judith back a baby then started to cry, she stood weakly and went over to the bed flicking the light on lifting a beautiful little boy. She turned her back to us and the suckling sound started.

"The bastard raped you too" I hissed

"Hurt me I don't care I don't matter but someone I love" she sighed "And anyway I wouldn't have my little boy if he hadn't we trusted Marcus never thought he'd actually hurt us, then again since the day we met him when I was 11 him 27 he always said he was gonna marry me. stupid druggy"

"Why are you still in there?" Carol worried.

"Safer, I don't need to leave till the year supply the guards brought before they ran runs out, prisoners not infected were released I got left because well why risk it an heavily pregnant wheelchair bound kid slowing you down." She sighed


	6. Thalia leaves her cell

"Keys, Rick" I said he passed them me.

"If I was in charge of that case I would have never prosecuted" Rick sighed looking at my daughter sadly.

"They were generous, I got more luxuries, 9 years 4 if I got parole." She shrugged "And if the world hadn't gone to hell, it wouldn't have effected the career I was intending to go into after graduating again"

"Which is?" Maggie asked

"Publication, I write fiction novels, I have boxers full under the bed and over 400 on the computer."

"You said graduate again" Carol asked sitting behind our daughter support her clearly aching back cradling her.

"I was onto my third college courses, well forth including my maths but I got that when I was 14" she said "PH.D in maths, access to nurse, business and when I got charge I was half way through ICT software design. If you're needing ammo that shit is way on the other end of the building."

"How'd you end up in the chair?" Carl asked

"Not long after I ended up in here there was a riot I got hit with a bullet by SWAT as they tried to get the situation under control I only left my cell to help a guard that one of the women had just hung over the barrier just got him over in time he had started turning purple, struggling to breathe got the sheet from around his neck as the bullet ripped straight into my spent, this little guy was lucky to survive"

"What's his name?" I asked she turned her head to me slightly

"Charlie, Charlie Edward Dixon" she smiled turning away again.

"Brother, you're a papa" Rick nudged me. Merle burst out laughing we turned shocked

"Playing happy families with the bastards that left me for dead"

"You died, in Woodbury" I felt so fucking sick.

"Nope" he laughed he started to punch me we got in a full blown fist fight, he put his gun to me, my group all raised their weapons. But my daughter grabbed his hair put Michonne's katana to his throat.

"I killed a man for beating my surrogate father what do ya think I'd do to the bastard holding a gun to my daddy's head asshole" she asked "Put the gun down before I take off your head." I had never seen my brother scared before but I felt his piss leaking on to me. he put the gun down.

"Gees Merle you fucking pissed on me" I snapped


	7. Hershel makes a friend

My parents my real parents are here they came looking for me. I couldn't let that guy murder my real dad, I only just met him. I pushed him into the cell at the end of the corridor locking him in. going back, my momma wrapped me tightly in her arms, I could feel her worry.

"What Carol is trying to say is, do you hate her?" the Korean man asked

"Nah, Debi told me everything the day I was arrested well whilst we waited for the police to come, though your parents do sound like pricks, mind my language" I snuggled to her as Charlie began to wail, I quickly pulled back and weakly, painfully ran to him, I was just at my cell door when my legs gave out.

"Thalia" My mother screamed running to me.

"Just put too much pressure on my back too soon not meant to be out the chair for at least another year," I sighed "Infirmary as another chair, I can't feel my legs, Charlie I can't get to Charlie," I panicked

"I've got Charlie" the blonde started to sooth my little boy.

"Do ya know Johnny Cash sunshine,?"

"Yeah"

"He loves it, it calms him" I told her she started to sing she as a wonderful voice. My father picked me up and carried me to bed. "I can't just lay in bed my son needs caring for"

"That's what grandparents are for" the man daddy-yeah internally I'm calling them daddy and momma- had called Rick chuckled. "If you rest whilst we find the infirmary and stop pushing yourself you get better quicker"

"I know but for 10 months which is how old he his I aint had no one to help with him I had to get on my feet, painful or not I had to" I sighed

"Well now you don't so you can rest and get better before you do yourself some serious, permanent damage" the old man I had given my chair to smiled

"Hershel was a vet before this now he's our doctor, teaching me, and his daughters best he can" my Momma smiled climbing onto the bed and cradling me.

"Sir, d'ya mind me asking what happened to ya leg?" I asked

"Not at all dear, I was bitten by a walker, Rick in an attempt to stop my death and ultimately reanimation cut my leg off, it worked too." He smiled "That was about 5/6 months ago."

"Survivor of the bite of death, that would make a great novel" I smiled

"Oh I would certainly want royalty cheques" he chuckled I smiled

"Ah but I wouldn't use your name so technically it wouldn't be your story erm Sharif Mortellio" I teased back

"You make that name up?" he asked shocked

"Yeah, one of my stories they're these brothers Chesmu and Jagadev Dakotah they had a bad start"

"Yeah, what happened?"

"Well their momma was nuts, abusive, when Chesmu was 6 Jagadev 3 she killed their father in front of them Jagadev ran at the sight of the blood but Chesmu he had a decision to make run after his brother and take care of him or stay and try and stop his mother killing his 4 month old sister, Milia. They're big sister Shania she had ran away the year before. Next thing Chesmu knows he's waking in Marcy and Grace orphanage his mother stabbed him he was lucky to live I mean this was way back in the 70's in India he was Indian American. He spent two years the only white kid in said orphanage, being abused by the other kids, neglected by the adults what little he did eat he had gotten from bins around the village, then a family comes to the village a rich American family everyone knows they're there to adopt all the kids start trying to stand out get the families attention but young Chesmu he cowers away tries to stay in his little corner unseen, but that drew them to him and the couple youngest son Clyde Junior he sit beside Chesmu and says he's brave to not have a momma and daddy. I'm bored but you can read it, if you want." He smiled

"I'd like that, does the boy have a future."

"Becomes a doctor, marries and adopts lots of abused babies just like him" I smiled "He changes is name, I can't tell you anymore you have to read it."

"What about the other boy Jagadev? Was he found?"

I laughed leaning over I pulled the printed version on Jenks (WHAT I'M NOT GOOD AT TITLES) and handed it to him. He chuckled as I yawned snuggling further into my momma.

"Get some sleep, my Beth will take good care of your boy, she loves kids" he smiled


End file.
